Queen Maxima: 38 Fabulous Hats To Celebrate Her Majesty’s Birthday

Yes, all three women have that crucial “commoner” thing in common, but aside from that, Maxima always looks happy to see everyone, be they a small child thrusting flowers in Her Majesty’s face, or a bellhop greeting her at a German hotel.

Today, the Buenos Aires-born consort turns 45, three years after becoming Queen alongside the Netherlands’ monarch and her husband, King Willem-Alexander.

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In 2013, Queen Beatrix abdicated in favor of her eldest son, and a celebration was thrown in honor of the passing of the crown. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attended, as did several other royal families from around the world.

In 199, Maxima was working at a New York investment firm when she met Willem-Alexander at the Seville Spring Fair in Spain. Like Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, Willem-Alexander didn’t initially reveal that he was a prince.

The couple announced their engagement two years later before marrying in 2002.

Maxima not only became a Dutch citizen, but learned the language of her adopted home country, as she would one day be its Queen (she does, however, retain dual citizenship between the Netherlands and Argentina).

Maxima has three girls with Willem-Alexander, is an advocate for LGBT rights and works with the UN in matters of achieving financial success for developing countries.

She also has the best collection of headware I have ever seen. Let’s peruse them, shall we?

There are giant safety pins in the back!

Andreas Rentz/Getty ImagesRedefining the shape of a headband

2. Redefining the structure of a headband (and feeling mighty good about it).

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3. Ooooh #backshot

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4. Wide-brimmed hats FTW. Bonus points for dramatic brim flips.

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5 . Sometimes a little netting and feathers is all the flair one needs.

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6. Brim flip with without the wide edge. Genius!

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7. 21st century pillbox, topped off with pearl earrings and a necklace because D.C./Jackie Kennedy.

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8. Subtle and delicate.

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9. “Don’t you love how this brim flips up? I can see you all without even touching my hat!”

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10. 21st century pillbox tilt.

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11. “Mad-hattering today because I had too much fun at last night’s tea party. And by tea I mean wine.”

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12. “Shh, I’m picking up a signal.”

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13. The purchase of a hat with the ability to block out unsavory strumpets, while allowing you to show off your diamond drop earrings is a purchase well-made.

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14. “It’s almost as if the hat is in the background, but it’s not! Isn’t that marvelous?” she said to no one in particular.

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15. “I was feeling very Julia Roberts in that hooker movie the Americans love. Minus the hooker part.”

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16. The wraparound design of this hat is ON. FLEEK.

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17. I don’t believe anyone’s ever made burlap look so chic.

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18. “Pardon me, but the background here is clashing with my hat. Might you send someone in here to fix this? Like, now?”

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19. “Wasn’t feeling very hat-ish, but you could hardly tell.”

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20. What happens when you glue pencil shavings on to a saucer.

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21. Another wraparound FTW!

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22. There she goes again, making hippie fabric look chic AF.

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23. Favorite hat walking.

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24. Shoot, maybe this one is my favorite.

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25. Watch the hat. The pins are no joke.

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26. “Which wedding is this again? The Lannoy girl?”

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27. Wraparound pillbox hat > dry shampoo.

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28. “Dear guest book. I’m especially in love with today’s headpiece because it nearly blends in with my hair, but not really. Lovely to be here. How are you?”

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29. “It’s amazing what you can do with a glue gun and washer rings.”

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30. “My hat and I enjoyed this performance most thoroughly.”

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31. “Deplaning was an absolute nightmare with this headpiece. This is a pained smile I’m giving you all.”

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32. “I am FEELIN’ myself today.”

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33. “Greetings youth. Thoughts on the hat?”

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34. “I found the help sewing with this and asked them to fashion it into something lovely. “

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35. “Read my lips. Get it?! Why aren’t you laughing?”

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36. “The sturdiness of this chic hat allows for my hand to be accosted while the hair remains in place. It’s really quite remarkable.”

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37. “Thank you for letting me stand here, darling. It’s most important that my hat not impale you.